Card Trick
by Mewtation151
Summary: It's time. Salem has descended too far into madness. The Founders must make one final decision, to scatter the founding cards in a new world, one untainted by the chaos of Salem. Will the chaos already in that world destroy itself with the cards' power, or will they fall into the hands of someone willing to use them for good? There's only one way to find out...
1. Prologue - The Scatter

"It was nice while it lasted, wasn't it?"

The man grabs the attention of his colleagues. They all knew what he was talking about, and it had to come eventually. They just wished it wasn't so soon.

"Salem was perhaps the greatest creation man has ever made, and possibly ever will make. But the power upon which it was founded has been used far too generously. Witches and Werewolves, Arsonists and Serial Killers, only bound by their will and a card. It's chaos disguised as normalcy. The worst part, no one knows who has what card, and the only way to find out is for the holder to reveal or for the holder to die. What we intended for a fresh start was used for an escape for malicious entities. It pains me to say it, but Salem must be destroyed."

The other man, his voice heavy, says, "You don't mean…"

"Yes, Cotton. Protocol Scatter is to be initiated. Lydia, Wildes, gather the founding cards. We will send them to a new world, one which we did not play a part in creating. The rules state that fifteen cards will be separated from the rest. We can send the remaining thirty-five to one person. Let us look."

The pair of ladies goes off in search of the cards throughout the house, the one house which is unreachable to the citizens of Salem. The founding cards, the original cards from which all other versions were copied, are here, and must be kept hidden and protected, lest they be misused.

The man, clearly the leader of the four Founders, strolls to a mirror stretching from the floor to the ceiling.

"Are you sure you want to do this, John? We can't go back from this, and we can only help the holder of the founding deck so much from beyond. We may yet be able to rebuild," says Cotton, not quite believing what he's saying himself.

"Come now, Cotton, we both know it's too late for that. As much as I wish it weren't, it is. Let us do one final service to the world while we have life."

The women reenter the room, each carrying a handful of cards.

"You have them all?" John asks. Both women nod, counting out the cards. Lydia carries twenty-seven, Wildes carries twenty-three. "Good. Hand them here." The women comply.

"You all knew what you were getting into when you helped me create this world. It is only fair you know what you're getting into when you help me destroy it." The others nod in sync. "We will recite the ancient seeking spell, to find our chosen one. The chosen one will receive the entire deck, minus the fifteen cards required to be kept separate. If the chosen one is the right one, they will retrieve and protect the fifteen separate cards, along with the ones they initially receive. Once the cards have been sent, this world will collapse on itself. We alone will travel to the new world with the cards, but our bodies must remain here, to be destroyed with the rest. Our minds and spirits will go to aid the chosen one. It will be difficult, and extremely painful at first. You already know all this, and I am merely reminding you. This change is irreversible. We must all be in agreement to make this work. If we attempt this, and we do not agree that this is the proper course of action, the cards will perish along with this world, and we will cease to exist. When you are ready, approach the mirror and touch the glass."

John walks to the glass and touches his left hand to the mirror's edge. Cotton follows close, then Lydia and Wildes. Lydia hesitates for a moment, then steels her resolve and joins the others.

"Before we do this, I wish to say one last thing. It has been an honor and a privilege creating and monitoring this world with you. I would give anything that this be deemed unnecessary. I am glad I could call you three my friends. Let's begin."

The four of them stand straight and tall, and begin reciting the spell.

 _"_ _Sanctificetur Dominus dominantium niteremur possemus, nihil hac nocte faceremus parceret. Obiectum tollent nobis virtutem atque initium novi horam illam. Ostende nobis esset electio, ut in eos, duo, tres."_

On the final word, the cards began to levitate, shuffling themselves, fifteen flying into the mirror at random, and the rest staying behind. The image in the mirror changed rapidly, finally focusing on a teenager, about nineteen, sitting on a couch, reading a book.

"This is it, friends. I shall wait for you on the other side."

The remaining cards flew into the mirror, and the world collapsed on itself.


	2. Chapter One - Magician

Chapter One - Magician

 **Go to your room.**

"Who said that?" I look around wildly. I'm sitting on the couch in my apartment, presumably alone, but I _know_ I heard a voice.

 **Go to your room.**

 _There it is again!_ "Show yourself!" I shout. The only response I get is silence. I wait.

 **Go to your room.**

It sounds like it's right next to me… but that's not possible. Right?

I look behind and under the couch, but there's no one there. _Screw it._ I go over to my room and look inside.

 **The desk.**

I look to my desk, and see everything is normal. _This is what you get for listening to this random voice—_

My thoughts are interrupted when a ball of light appears over my desk. I close my eyes, momentarily blinded. When I open them, a stack of cards stands on my desk. The backs of the cards have writing in a print that looks like it's from colonial times.

I read it twice, finally understanding it as "Salem". _So… Massachusetts?_ I step closer to the cards and reach to touch them. The second my finger brushes the top card, everything seems to freeze. My ceiling fan, which was just on, is stopped mid-turn. I can even see the motion blur. Same goes for the window curtains, and I no longer feel the air move. I look outside, and see all the people frozen in time, all with motion blurs. _What even…?_

My head starts to hurt looking outside, so I step back from the window, sit in the middle of my floor, and close my eyes.

"Oh, dear. If this is our chosen, we may be in for more trouble than originally anticipated."

I open my eyes and snap my head up to look at the man that just appeared in my room. No, really. He just _appeared._ No sound, no movement, just suddenly _there._ _I'm dreaming._

"Who the hell are you?"

The man frowns. "And such coarse language. I pray we did not make a mistake. My name is John Hathorne. A pleasure to meet you, Champion."

"Ryan, nice to meet—wait, champion?! Champion of what, exactly?"

"Of course. Pardon my rudeness, I have yet to fully accustom myself to the differences between our worlds. You are the Champion of the Cards, as chosen by the mirror spell."

"The who in the what now?"

The man sighs. "Apparently I need to further retreat through my knowledge. Allow me to explain my meaning. Several decades ago, I, along with three friends, whom you will meet in due time, discovered the key to immortality. I say discovered, it was more so handed to us. We were rewarded immortality and the ability to create a world of our own, with the restriction of being unable to interact with it. We would also be responsible for anything that happened in that world. We oversaw that world from the Founding House, a home for the four of us to call our own. The world we created was called Salem.

"Our world was much like yours, I've found, only created by humans rather than by God. The primary difference was the role cards. We created fifty cards, each one unique from the rest. We made both good and evil cards, so as to give those living in Salem a choice between good and evil. The Founding Cards were copied into the role cards, which were distributed around Salem for people to find. Role cards were not necessary to make a life, but could assist in multiple ways. We did not know at the time, but we had made a mistake in creating the cards.

"The mistake lay not in their creation, but in the power put into their creation. There was too much. Instead of assisting people with their lives, the cards dominated the lives of those who took them. The roles with killing capacity soon ran rampant through Salem, killing as they pleased. The only thing limiting someone with a card was their own will and the card itself, and the will was often shattered by the card.

"I looked at the world we had made, and saw only chaos. People were losing their humanity because they were unlucky enough to stumble upon an evil card that dominated their heart, mind, and will. It was painful to watch. So, the other Founders and I initiated the endgame process, one we called the Scatter Protocol.

"Based upon the rules of the cards, not all fifty could be forced together by our hand. At least fifteen should be kept separate until reunited by the hand of a living human. Scatter sent fifteen random cards into this world, spread to randomized locations at least two hundred miles from where the rest of the deck would be. They could have ended up condensed in the same place, or they could be on the opposite side of the planet.

"Each of us Founders know where three are. These three are not shared, meaning twelve of the locations are known. However, they are not precise locations; they are names of entire countries. The ones I know of are in France, Peru, and the United States of America. We will eventually find the other three, who know where more are. Until then, we only have my knowledge. The odd three out remain unknown to any of us until all twelve known cards are found. I cannot say which cards have gone missing."

I stare at the man, eyes wide in shock, trying to process all of what he said. _So, he wants me, Nerdy Bookworm Bundle Extreme, to travel the world and collect these cards, some of which can give people ability to kill easily, starting with only knowing three and keeping three completely unknown until twelve are found. That settles it—I've lost my damn mind._

I voice my thoughts to the man, and he chuckles. "Yes, I can see how it may be unbelievable. But you will not be completely powerless. You already have what you need most; the other thirty-five Founding Cards." He gestures to the cards on my desk. "The back of each one has a description telling you everything you need to know about them. The front has the role's name, icon, alignment, and combative values.

"Your task is to use these cards to travel the world and collect the fifteen prodigal cards, and, upon completion of the previous task, protect the cards. We tried to destroy Salem, but some… unsavory spirits followed us here. If they come in contact with the cards, they will regain their physical forms. They should leave once the cards are gathered. Be warned, however: they know you are the one the mirror chose, and they will come after you. Regardless of whether you choose to accept."

 _Well, there goes my plan to deny._ "Am I allowed to tell others?"

"Yes, in fact, I encourage you to do so. The more people you have helping you, the better. Just be wary not to let them touch the evil cards. Each person already has a role, based on their personality, but giving them a card will override that role and give them the card's role's abilities. Use the investigative roles to find a person's personality-based role. The difficulty in telling others lies in them believing you. You could use the cards to prove yourself, as you have been granted immunity to the possessive effects of all cards, evil or otherwise, but be careful of who sees. Humans from this world can be just as evil as humans from Salem." He replies.

I nod, breathing a sigh of relief. _I don't have to do this alone, thank Christ._ "What happens if I need to ask you something? Can others see or hear you?"

"Just address me and ask a question, and I will respond, much like I spoke to you to come in here. I can make myself visible to others, yes, but that is also a risky thing to do. You can see me naturally; I don't have to manually allow myself to be seen. If I make myself visible to others, it has to be to everyone. For your safety, I will refrain from doing so, but will do so if you ask me to. I will advise against your request if I see reason to, but if you insist, I will gratify."

"Right… I'm still trying to mentally process the past fifteen minutes. What's with the time-stop thing?"

"That's because you're experiencing a vision that exists outside of time. This will not happen every time we speak; it was triggered by the first contact between your hand and the Founding Cards. This will happen each time you collect one. Oh, and one last thing before I return you to the time-stream, which you will enter where you left. To collect a card, just put it in the deck, if it is unowned at the time. If a human has begun using it, you must either convince them to surrender it, or kill them. There is no other way to get the card; you cannot steal it, or take it without permission from the holder if they are living."

"Woah, woah, woah, I was fine with this until you said I'd have to kill people. I'm not sure I can do that."

"Then talk them into giving it to you. I did give you another option. Our conversation has attracted some of the Salemites. I will return you to the slipstream, where you may determine your next course of action. Good luck, Champion."

With that, the man disappears, and I blink, back at my desk, fingers just grazing the top card of the deck. I shake my head, pinch myself, then run to the bathroom and splash water on my face. Nothing wakes me up. _This is real._

If this is real… _I need normal human interaction._

I return to the couch, where I left my phone earlier. I pick it up and scroll through the contacts. _Alex… Amy… Anna… Archy! There you are._ I call Archy, waiting for her to answer.

Six rings in, she picks up, sounding like she just woke up; she probably did.

"Ryan, what even…? It's, like, two in the morning. Why?"

"Look at your clock again. It's noon. You're literally across the complex from me, I know we're in the same time zone. Anyways, look, something bizarre just happened. It's kind of awesome, but at the same time it's utterly terrifying. I need to talk to someone about it, and you and Erin are the closest to me. Can you guys be here in ten minutes?"

"Five." She hangs up.

I pocket the phone, walking back into my room. I pick up the cards and start searching through them to pass the time. _Mayor… Sheriff… Trapper… Consigliere… Janitor… Amnesiac… Coven Leader… What are these? How did four people come up with almost fifty of them?_

I hear a knock on the door. I hop down the stairs and open it, letting Archy and Erin inside. We hop up the steps, and I point them towards the couch, while I walk to my room.

"Okay, so, what is this thing that happened?" Erin asks.

"You ask casually, but the time I'm done explaining, it'll be hard to remember your own name." I respond.

"Try me." She retorts.

I bring the cards out. "These." They both look at me in confusion. "They're not just cards; they're called Founding Cards…" I explain the interaction I had with John, and by the end of it, they're wide-eyed and shocked silent. Then, Archy raises a valid question.

"Ryan, how do we know that those are even real? I don't doubt that you think they are, but from the sounds of it, you haven't tested them yet. What if you got duped by a magician or something, just for the fun of it?"

"Or, better yet, how do we know you're not just high?" Erin proposes, snickering. I give her a glare. "Kidding."

I shuffle through the cards, trying to find one that would be easy to prove without hurting them. _Doctor… Escort… Disguiser… Coven Leader…_ These are the most easily proved non-lethal roles, of the ones I have. _Let's see… Coven Leader has a fifty percent chance of killing, so that's a hard no… Escort requires immorality, and that's something none of us want… Doctor requires them to be sick or injured, and Disguiser should make me look like them._

I take the Disguiser card out of the deck and put the rest in my left pocket. I walk up to Archy and touch her with the card. They both gasp in surprise.

"That means it worked, right? I look like Archy now?"

"What even… how… huh?" Yeah, it worked.

 _Now to figure out how to turn it off._

Oh no.

"John? How do I stop using a role?"

Archy and Erin look at each other, then back to me. "You do realize he's not here anymore, right? It's just us."

"I told you he could talk to me, didn't I?" _Couldn't you have proved you were right by asking him to show himself?_ Oh yeah…

"John, you can show yourself for now, I trust these two."

Almost immediately, there's a swirling of dust in the middle of the room, and John materializes. Archy and Erin equip their shocked faces once more, but seem a little less surprised. _Maybe I can get them to stop being surprised by this kind of stuff. Gotta do that to myself first, though._

"You called, Ryan?"

"Yeah, how do I stop using a role?"

"Will it to stop."

"…It's that easy?"

"Yes, for you. For others, not as much, but for you, yes."

I try it, and it works. I don't feel like I'm under the influence of Disguiser anymore, and from my friends' faces, I can tell that I'm not.

"Thanks, John."

"Of course, Champion." He disappears the same way he arrived, in a swirl of dust.

"…What just happened?" Erin asks, looking even more tired than Archy sounded when I called."

"RIGHT? That's what I said earlier, but I couldn't get an answer. What's happened to me, is that I'm essentially being forced to travel the world and collect cards, presumably with a limit of one to a country, with extremely little support. What's happened to you guys, is that your friend is asking to you to help him do exactly what he just told you he must do. Are you in, or are you out?"

They look at each other for a moment, then back at me."

"We're in." I breathe a sigh of relief.

"Then let's get started. We know from John that there's at least one card in the U.S., one in France, and one in Peru. We may not be able to communicate with the other Founders until John's cards are found, so that's what we'll assume we're working with. If I'm proven wrong, great, that makes things easier. Kind of. We should look around home first, find the one in the U.S., then move to France."

"Why France before Peru?" Archy asks.

"I already know French."

"Ah."

"So, we go from the U.S. to France, then to Peru, unless we meet the other Founders first, and they give us a closer location. We'll have to either talk the card's holder into giving us the card, or kill the holder. I will kill if necessary, but I would greatly prefer talking."

"Sounds great, but how are we gonna find the card? It's a huge country, and we're three college students. How are we going to explain to our friends and family why we're suddenly failing school, and why we can never talk? 'Oh, yeah, about that, just going around saving the world with two friends, I'll be home late, don't wait for me.' I don't think that will go over well, especially with your parents." Biker challenges.

"Yeah, probably not. Which is why I don't plan on telling them until I start. Plus, there's the Forger card, which lets me create any document I need, and it will work. I still wonder why the Founders thought this one was a promising idea, but hey, works for me."

"That's awesome. So, we have, what, passports, IDs, everything?" Archy asks.

"Yup. Probably not morally sound to use after this event, though."

"Okay, so we can get around fine, but that doesn't answer the question of how we're going to _find_ the card." Erin remarks.

"I assumed that part would be obvious."

"How so?"

"Just watch the news. Remember, these cards will dominate a person's will and force the person to act upon the card. I guarantee we'll see or hear something about it on the news."

"…True. So, we just wait until we hear about it on the news? How will we know it's what we're looking for?"

"I'll talk to John about it later. I know that he can't just sense which cards are where, but we can figure out which cards are missing. He and the other Founders should remember all the roles. I'll lay them out and have him tell me which ones should be present that are not. We shouldn't just dive headfirst into this; take three days to prepare. I'll update you on what roles we need to find. If there's been no sign of them by Sunday, we'll just start traveling at random. In the meantime, pack some stuff, cover for your absence, whatever you need to do. I'll be here."

"Should we tell the others?" Archy asks, rising to leave.

"If you'd like. I'll be telling a couple of friends from church. The more, the merrier. Just, ah, don't make it sound easy. This will be hard, and I have more than just a feeling that many of the missing roles are kill-capable roles. We will be in mortal danger for a lot of this. At least mention that."

"Will do. What are you going to do for the three days?"

"No idea, I'll probably piece something together to make all this easier. Talk to John. Study up. Prepare. Standard stuff for someone about to save the world."

Archy smiles, and goes back downstairs to leave, Erin having left already. I sigh and flop down onto the couch. _Champion of the Cards, huh? The implications are great, but lame without context. What better name can I use, if necessary… Why am I choosing a name first? Snap out of it and get to work._

"John, I'm gonna need your help for this."

Six hours later, I've memorized all that I can about the roles I have. I've learned which roles are missing: From the Mafia, we're missing Godfather, Mafioso, and Blackmailer; from the Coven, we're missing Medusa, Necromancer, Poisoner, and Hex Master; from the Neutrals, we're missing Serial Killer, Arsonist, Juggernaut, Executioner, and Vampire; and from the Town, we're missing Medium, Retributionist, and Psychic. _Naturally, half of the ones we're missing have supernatural powers. Granted, so do I, but still._

I've learned about the cards themselves, too; they don't need to be in direct contact with my skin to be used, but I must know which card I'm using. I can use them from a distance by throwing them, or by absorbing them. The advantage to throwing is that I can reuse them instantly, while the disadvantage is that they can be intercepted. The advantage to absorbing is that the card stays safe, while the disadvantage is a cooldown timer. The time depends on the card used. I can also personify the cards, but then I am limited to only one card, and cannot combine effects. The upside to that, is that I can throw the card without risking interception and reuse it instantly. I can magnetize unbound cards to my hand as well. If a holder dies or surrenders, I can force the card into my hand, or return those I throw without having to run to them.

I'm about to start on my next project when it hits me: I haven't eaten today, and it's seven p.m. I'm starving. I have too little energy to cook, so I grab my phone, wallet, and keys, and head out to my car. I text Archy and Erin.

 ** _Learned a lot about cards, going to get food. Meet outside if you want to join._**

I wait less than two minutes for them to run over to my car.

"That was fast."

"We haven't eaten either."

"Yeah, that makes—" _Wait._

"Something wrong?"

 _Why was that response wrong…?_

…Oh. Oh no.

 _I didn't tell them I hadn't eaten._

I shake my head slowly, then open my door and sprint out. "Archy" and "Erin" hop out as well, giving chase. _Come on, man, think! What can you do to combat evil spirits?_ I start searching through the cards, trying to find the one I need. _Where is it, where is it…_

Got it! _The Vampire Hunter's primary job is the elimination of Vampires, but it can be used to counter all varieties of spirits, good or evil._

"Personify!" The card shatters, the shards swirling around me. My clothing changes, morphing into my body. Suddenly I'm no longer in jeans and a t-shirt, but instead in a green coat with a matching hat and black pants, running in brown boots and carrying a wooden stake. A silver cross necklace appears around my neck, with a red gem embedded in the intersect. The gem starts to glow, indicating that there are evil spirits nearby.

I stop and turn on my heel, holding the stake like a knife, expertly wielding it. The spirits, now a little more obviously not human, with red eyes and sharpened teeth, slow down as they near me. They split up, forming a circle around me. Three more join them from seemingly out of the ground. These, since they have no human host, merely appear to be stereotypical ghosts; mostly white, pale bluish-green glow, black eyes. Wavy line of ectoplasm where their legs should be. The difference is the third eye on their forehead, shining a violent red, and the rows of teeth in a visibly endless mouth. They change colors, one becoming yellow, and one becoming purple.

Spirit-Archy and Yellow rush at me. I dodge under Spirit-Archy's swing, swinging the stake upward and catching Yellow in its ribs. At least, where its ribs once were. It gives a ghastly wail, dissolving into white smoke. Red and Purple meet a similar fate. Spirit-Archy and Spirit-Erin circle me, staying on opposite sides. S-Erin feints forward, and I take the bait, letting S-Archy jump on my back. I slam her into the ground using all my weight, and she releases her grip. I roll just as S-Erin jumps, making her land on S-Archy rather than on me.

 _I can't kill them with the stake; that will kill Erin and Archy. What else can I do to kill them?_

I reach into my coat pocket and feel something smooth. _Glass?_ I pull it out and see it's a vial of water… _Holy Water!_

Mind racing, I rush S-Archy with the water hidden in my left hand. The spirit, however, is apparently sensitive enough to know I'm holding it, and tries to leave. I don't let it get far.

Archy, now free, slumps to the ground, unconscious. S-Erin growls at me, and starts to glow brighter. _The spirit is going to absorb her!_ I chuck the vial of Holy Water at her, causing it to shatter and burn the spirit. The glowing slowly fades, then disappears altogether. Erin goes limp, also unconscious.

"Release." I mutter, my clothing and mentality returning to normal. The card solidifies in my hand. _Okay, now I_ definitely _need food. I'm thinking burgers._

I look at the girls, and reconsider. _Let's get you two back home first._

I pick them up and carry them back to their apartment. Using Archy's key, I open the door and take them inside. I lay them down on the couch and write a note. _"Fight happened. I kicked ass. Will explain later. Don't leave the apartment. Using Trapper and Spy, so you're protected and I can hear you. Getting food, back in 30."_

I stick the note to the door and leave the apartment. I find my car untouched; the spirits even shut their doors, how considerate. I still do a once-over to make sure nothing was stolen, then hop in and drive to the nearest burger place.

About twenty minutes later, I hear Erin talking. _Spy works._

"Ugh… my head hurts. So does all of me, actually… What's this?" A pause. "I sincerely hope that doesn't mean you can see us too, dude. That would just be wrong." _Agreed._ "Archy. Hey, Archy. Get up. Come on, you lazy bum." She continues to pester Archy, mostly unsuccessful. By the time she gets Archy to wake up, I've finished eating my food and am pulling into the apartment complex with theirs.

I make my way to their apartment and knock. "One sec!" I hear shuffling, then Erin opens the door. "Okay, you're here, now explain." I recount the fight to them. "Woah. So we were, like, possessed?"

"Essentially. I was almost certain you were already dead, but then Archy's possessor left her body, and she was still breathing."

"That's… terrifying. We almost _died_ today, all of us did. We haven't even started looking for the cards yet!"

"I know, but we can't help that. I'll leave the trap here, it should go off for the spirits. It's getting late, and who knows how much sleep we'll get on the journey. We may have to leave sooner than anticipated, so get your sleep while you can." I exit the apartment and jog over to my own. When I get inside, John appears in his signature swirl of dust.

"Well done on passing the first of many challenges. Seeing you do that gave me hope. When you sleep tonight, I will train you to throw cards in your dreams, literally. It won't affect the amount of rest you receive. Good luck, Champion." He disappears as suddenly as he appears.

I get up the stairs and into my room before it even registers that I felt no surprise in his random appearance. _I guess I'm getting used to it._

I start to get ready for bed—showering, brushing my teeth, and such—when I remember that I had a project to start.

I collect all the flexible plastic in my house and fashion a vest of sorts, with fifty inner card-sleeves in five rows of ten. I put the cards in order of alignment, and alphabetical order within each alignment, for ease of sorting. I leave the slots where the missing cards should go vacant, so that I don't have to re-sort everything.

 _Now to test this to see if it works._ I focus on the Doctor card. "Personify." I feel a small warmth against my chest where the Doctor card is stored. My clothing starts to morph into a white lab coat, a medical cap and mask covering my head and face. Gloves appear on my hands, my right carrying and syringe and my left a bandage roll. The gloves glow slightly, empowering the supplies.

I set down the bandages and syringe, feeling the inside of my coat. I feel a variety of medical supplies, but no vest or cards. _Perfect._

"Release." My apparel returns to normal, and I feel the cards again. _They count as clothing now, so using Personify can keep them safe._

I opt to keep the card vest on at all times. I think about ways to keep the cards safer, and come up with several questions. Fortunately, I happen to have an encyclopedia in the form of a spirit friend.

"John?"

 **Yes?**

"Are there any ways the cards can be physically destroyed, without the use of another card? If so, what are those ways?"

 **The cards can be destroyed, yes. When not charged or in use, they can be torn, burned, soaked, pierced, or really anything else that would affect a normal card. Charged is another way of saying bound, meaning if the card has a human owner. The obvious downside of the cards' destruction is the loss of their abilities, but that is not nearly as devastating as the extra effect.**

"Which is…?"

 **If a copied card is destroyed, nothing special happens. But, if a Founding Card is destroyed, the energy release would be equivocal to that of a weapon called an 'atom bomb'. Additionally, if it is one of the cards you possess, since it would be in close vicinity to the rest, it would destroy the other cards as well, causing their energy to release in the same manner. The release is amplified by what triggered it, so if that were to happen, there is almost no doubt that the entire planet would be fractured, if not destroyed completely.**

 _Great._ "Can they be destroyed by bending too much?"

 **No, the cards were designed to be resistant to bending. You would have a better chance of bending a bridge with your tongue than you would bending a single Founding Card with machinery. The only time they can bend is while in use or being thrown, or while in the hands of either a Founder or the Champion.**

"So, what you're saying is, only you and I can bend the cards?"

 **And the other three Founders, yes.**

 _Interesting._ "Would electricity harm the cards?"

 **Only if it is in enough capacity to cause a flame.**

 _So yes._ "Okay, then let me verify what I've understood. The cards can be bent only by the Founders and myself, or when being thrown, in which case they cannot be destroyed anyways. The cards can be destroyed in any manner that would destroy a standard playing card, as long as the card is not bound to a human, unless the card's destroyer is its owner. If a single card is destroyed, it would essentially destroy everything within a couple miles' radius. If I am within that radius, the world will fracture and probably be destroyed altogether. Did I miss anything?"

 **From what I have told you, no.**

"Okay, good. I'll work on getting them protected in some way other than fusing with them all at once…"

 **Wait, you fused with multiple at once? How? That was designed to be impossible!**

I show him the plastic vest and explain to him how I figured it out, demonstrating with Doctor.

 **Well, dye me impressed! We never thought of** ** _wearing_** **the cards to combine them!**

"It doesn't combine their effects, but it does keep them safe, which might be better."

 **Even so, well done, Champion!**

"Thank you. Another thing: we were attacked by those spirit things you mentioned earlier."

 **Salemites. Those from Salem that chose or were chosen by an evil role.**

"Right, those. Archy and Erin were possessed by them, and I managed to kill the spirits without harming the girls. However, during the fight, three more unbound spirits appeared. Why did they not possess me like they did Archy and Erin?"

 **Because you are the Champion. You have too many roles in your hands for them to possess you. You likely used Vampire Hunter to kill them, correct? That would also be why; they can neither possess the Founders, the Champion, nor the Vampire Hunter. You, at that time, were two of those three things. You are also consistently one of them. They are also challenged possessing Vampires, as the Vampires are already considered evil spirits.**

"So, if I want to free someone from possession, I can just force them to be Vampire Hunters temporarily?"

 **While that is a valid option, I would discourage doing so. Remember, you must convince or kill a person to gain their card. If you cannot convince the person you free to give the card back, you will be forced to kill them. Understand that, while they are your friends, Archy and Erin are still normal humans. Their minds can be overtaken by the cards just as easily as anyone else's.**

"Right, but Vampire Hunter is a Town-aligned card. I thought only the evil cards dominated a person's will?"

 **No, they all do, but the evil ones are more potent in doing so. Town roles still dominate even a strong-willed person, just not to do bad. Vampire Hunter would make its victim extremely superstitious, almost to the point of madness. They would line the edges of their home, interior and exterior, with salt. They would fashion a stake, much like the one you get when you personify Vampire Hunter, and carry it with them everywhere. They would essentially become your personified Vampire Hunter, but with no control over their actions.**

"…Oh. Well, then, scratch that idea."

 **It would be wise to remember that option, but yes, do not resort to that first.**

"Well, I think that's all I have to ask right now. You can go back to… whatever you've been doing when we aren't conversing."

 **I have been studying this world while simultaneously searching for the other Founders. I have not yet found them, but I do know much about this world. Good luck, Champion.**

 _I feel like he doesn't remember my name. Did I ever tell him my name? It doesn't matter; I am a Champion, I'm not about to stop him from calling me that._

Thinking about it, I was going to pick a name for myself earlier, but never did. I lie down on my bed, letting my mind slow down some. I think about the power that I now have… the things I can do… my primary tool… the skill I'm about to learn… and the perfect name comes to me.

 _I am The Magician._


End file.
